Safe and Sound
by GuardianAthens
Summary: Sequel to 'Coming Down'. It's safe now to be open. It's all sound now to tell him I love you. Feli doesn't need to worry during this vacation. Ludwig's here and all he wants is him alone to replace his haunted memories. However, it seems Derick and his influence, even in death, haunts them both
1. Safe and Sound

_**WELCOME BACK MY PRETTIES! This is the long awaited sequel to 'Coming Down', which is now fully edited and completely finished to the dot.**_

_**I welcome you now to the continued journey of Ludwig and Feliciano after the death of Derick and the defeat of Lier's Den. Enjoy**_

_**~(Inspired by 'Safe and Sound' by Taylor Swift & Capital Cities)~**_

* * *

"I can go?" Feliciano squealed. Romulus nodded once more in confirmation and Feli jumped in the air in happiness. He was going with them, he was going with them! Lovino laughed with him.

"Just bring some sort of stupid souvenir back when you do come home alright? I want a jar of the beach sand or something like that, so take a jar with you" Lovino demanded and Feliciano agreed to the terms. He couldn't believe he was going on this trip! Well, he didn't know why he needed to ask them; maybe because Arminius just wanted to make sure. He anyway still got an all go for it! He quickly zoomed out the kitchen into the living room where the Beilschmidt family was awaiting. Ludwig stood up, along with Lili and Arminius as Feli stopped in the middle of the room. He took in a few breaths and then announced the news.

"I can go with you guys!"

The room cheered and Ludwig scooped Feliciano up into his arms. They shared a quick kiss and both of them raced up to Feli's room to pack up.

"Arminius" Romulus called out to the german grandfather. Arminius walked up to Romulus calming, and cut the large Italian off before he could speak with his own quick kiss.

"I'll make sure he returns home with you safe. I'm not as stupid as you put me out as"

"I know you think-skulled German. Make sure he has fun." Romulus chuckled, and let him on his way. He watched the family grow excited and happy. Lovino and Sebastian watched from the kitchen with him.

"You just want Feli to be with Ludwig don't you? You know what he wants…." Sebastian called out, smirking. Lovino looked shocked for a moment but relaxed into it.

"You think it'll work nonno?" Lovino asked calmly. Romulus turned to his bambinos.

"It'll work. He's old enough now to understand it and who wouldn't do it at an island like that? It looks gorgeous, at least from Google Maps"

The Vargas family smirked. Their secret plan had begun. They hoped that it would work while the Beilschmidt family took this vacation. It was now just up to Feliciano to get it going, or Ludwig because from what Elizabeta and Lili has told them, he wanted it as well. They watched in silence as Feliciano came rushing down once more and tackled Romulus into a hug.

"Thank you again nonno for this!" Feli cheered and was off again to pack. Ludwig was ushering him up the stairs, and Lovino smirked as he watched Ludwig's hands linger just a bit too long on Feli's back side.

"Oh yeah, this is going to work Romulus. You saw it too right?" Lovino called out. Romulus nodded.

"Completely. I hope they enjoy each other"

The three of them hummed in approval. They now just had to wait out the actual trip to see if it worked. As the excitement went on and everyone packed up what they needed, Arminius found himself talking with Romulus again. Lovino and Sebastian had gone up to Feliciano to supposedly 'help him choose his clothing'.

"I'm glad things have gone well for the two of them. It seems like everything's going to be okay" Romulus chuckled, quickly followed by Arminius knocking on a wood chair.

"Don't jinx us, you idiot!" Arminius hissed, "The last thing we need is a repeat of last year"

Romulus nodded. They never wanted to see a repeat of anything of last year. They were just glad that they survived all of that and rebuilt up from the shambles they found themselves in. They did see the end of it, thank goodness. With Lier's Den being disassembled and any existing gang members arrested, they seemed to find retribution. Feliciano slowly healed after his return to them, accepting his actions and past. He was scarred still, but he took it as a sort of blessing. Not many people want to remember things like this, but Feli wanted to remember it. He called it a 'life lesson'. They found themselves remembering it too. They didn't start bawling on cue when they did, but it stung a bit.

Most of them assumed that Feli kept himself together with Ludwig when he remembered the darkest parts of it. Ever since Feli was released, no ever since he was at the hospital, the duo have been inseparable, always at each other's side, comforting each other, going out on dates a lot more, and over obviously getting closer in every aspect. No one could get enough of their relationship.

The Beilschimdts thought that maybe it was time to get away from the city and vacation somewhere with white sandy beaches and lots of ocean. The coast was an option, but Romulus, trying to set his grandson up with his boyfriend under the sheets, recommended an island paradise they could fly to and relax. Romulus and Arminius even got together to gather enough money to stay for two weeks at the island's resort.

Romulus, Sebastian, and Lovino all volunteered to stay back. They wanted Feliciano to enjoy the time with Ludwig and his family as much as possible. They also knew that Francis was going only because Feliciano wanted him there with them. When Francis heard, he was touched so much by it he nearly kissed Feliciano. Ludwig made sure Francis wouldn't try it again.

"Oh, I forgot to mention something…." Arminius said as he started to leave, moving out of the way as Sebastian came back in.

"Huh?"

"Antonio will be joining us as well. You sure you want to stay back?" Arminius smirked as shouting from upstairs began. Things started to crash and bang, causing Sebastian to shrink down behind the kitchen counter. Lovino rushed down so quickly down the stairs, his foot caught the fourth to last step and fell the rest of the way down, slamming his face into the ground several times and skidding into an end table with a vase on it, shattering on contact with Lovino's head. He groaned and rubbed his head for a moment but it did not stop him. He sprinted up off of the floor up to Arminius, panting.

"Antonio's going with you?" Lovino questioned them, finally standing up straight.

Arminius nodded. Lovino took a deep breath and then looked him in the eye.

"I know I said I would stay back for my brother but…..I want to go with Antonio…"

"Or I could stay here"

Lovino turned around to find Antonio behind him, smiling like the usual dork he was.

"I don't need to go, plus I thought you were already going, but since this trip is for Feli and Ludwig I guess I can hang back. It alright with you Arminius?"

"Yes. We can find someone to use the extra plane ticket and room"

"Oh, Arminius!" Feli and Ludwig appeared from their room at on the stairs, bags in their hands. Feli set his down and then gripped the handrail. "Could we bring our friend Kiku with us instead?" Feli asked.

Kiku Honda, Kiku to them, Car Man to Gilbert, was a new friend they had made after the incident. He had recently been moved here into the city and instantly grappled on to the 'approved' train for their relationship. After a rather embarrassing scene where Kiku was caught taking pictures of them making out, they seemed to become instant friends. When Feli and Ludwig weren't spending time together, they were with Kiku discussing things, hanging out at Hetalia, and finding themselves searching for Gilbert and Roderich. You can say that they were indoctrinated into the 'Yaoi Fan Club' as legit members. Among the members of the club-Francis, Elizabeta, Kiku, and another new girl Sakura- Feli and Ludwig were the fairly newest, although they were a 'yaoi' couple themselves. They appealed to their shipping natures and let them in on a few secrets to the couple they were out for: Gilbert and Roderich.

Although their relationship was known to almost everyone, no one knew what they were doing or how it all started, and it intrigued them. Even Eliza didn't know how it started.

Arminius seemed to approve of the replacement. Ludwig and Feliciano piled their bags in the front room and Feli pulled out his phone and dialed up Kiku to see if he could come. The call connected and Feli and Kiku were off chatting. They weren't done chatting until they had all the bags piled into the car and were waiting for Feli to get the hell out of the Vargas house. He nearly slammed into Ludwig when he did and finally got in.

"Sorry for taking a long time! Kiku's going to meet with us at your place, he's coming!"

So they sat idly in front of their house, waiting for Kiku to show up. It really didn't last long because Kiku was quickly upon them, his family tagging behind him. They were carrying the few bags he had, and helped load them into the back of the car. They waved and hugged Kiku goodbye and watched as the car loaded full of people left for the airport. The ride was a hell of a lot of fun, seeing that Gilbert was in shotgun and had control of the radio. The car seemed to move around as the songs changed and pumped through the heavy speakers. It was even better because of the lack of space actually in the car, Feli was on Ludwig lap and everyone could not stop smiling at the blush that seemed to glue itself to Ludwig's face. Lili was also on Francis's lap, but no one really worried. Francis was a good boy; he respected Lili's personal bubble. Candid photos were of course taken by Francis and Kiku of Ludwig's flustered time in the car.

The airport slowly pulled up in sight and everyone was cheering. They were close to the next leg of this vacation.

Plane ride to the island's airport.

The lines at the bag check in were long and annoying, but they somehow got through it in time and then survived the monstrous lines of security, where Gilbert was stuck for a few minutes because apparently they were going to do a full body search of him for whatever reason. After that was just a small shuttle ride to the other exit gates and they could wait out for their plane to get here, unload and clean, and finally board and let the plane and her crew do the rest until they landed. The wait was annoyingly long, and the group was beginning to simmer a bit. Gilbert was rather subdued however, sitting a few seats from the others as he texted with Roderich, who could not come with them due to AP school work he needed to deal with. Lili was chatting away with Kiku, discussing subject pertaining to Yaoi Fan Club and passing back and forth collected pictures of current 'on-watch' couples. Francis and Arminius were talking silently under the guise of business, a piece of paper being passed between them. If you looked more closely, they were making silent bets and choices on what was going to happen in the next two weeks on the island.

Ludwig and Feli were huddled up together, waiting away from the pack at bit like Gilbert. Feli had fallen asleep as they waited the last hour for their flight and rested comfortably in Ludwig's lap, hands resting on his legs. Ludwig's face had a small light pink blush on it but it was nothing big. He was used to Feliciano falling asleep on his lap, be it his head or sitting on him and falling asleep in his arms. Feli was constantly sleeping at lot these days, and a small part of him worried for him and what he saw in his sleep. He caught him sometimes in the middle of the night, when he would crawl into bed with him, crying or whimpering or even both in the midst of his dreams. The scars of last year's pitch black events still lingered in every form around them and he knew Feli would be haunted for a while by what had happened.

He ran his right hand through Feli's hair, keeping close eye on the curl poking out of his head. He learned a little while ago that it was touchy, and a rather…._arousing_ thing to touch. As he avoided the curly hair, he noticed it twitch and curl the wrong way, going upside-down. The first clue that Feli was plunging too deep into the past was the curl reacting first. Feli started to shake in his lap, starting the second step. This was the window he had to wake him up without it ending up in screams. Ludwig shook Feli softly, whispering in the little Italian Feli had taught him. Feli's shaking slowly stopped, his curl still wonky and his eyes opened with small tears escaping him.

"L-luddy…"

"It's okay we're still waiting for the plane. You're safe"

Feliciano smiled up at him and sat up, leaning hard on Ludwig's shoulder. He rubbed the tears away quickly before snuggling into Ludwig's side.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ludwig asked softly, squeezing Feli's side. Feli nodded.

"It's been the same for a while. It was….was Derick before….he..."

Ludwig shushed him, knowing what he was going to say, and hugged him close. Even now, Derick's face and memory has kept haunting Feli in every attempt for sleep. Now it was always the process before Feli had, against his will, lost his virginity to the late Derick. The damage and physical scarring had been done with a year ago but it would be the hardest thing to shake free of, Ludwig knew it. Feli seemed to melt into Ludwig's always open embrace, letting the little tears that always freed themselves soak into Ludwig's shirt. Ludwig never minded the damp spots he would find.

"It's okay Feli…" Ludwig soothed him. Feli sighed into Ludwig, taking in the soft scent of woods that he could detect.

"I'm good…."

Shortly after, the call for boarding Flight 439 rang loud, and they boarded calmly. With some success, and some nice bonuses courtesy of the city and the state for helping bringing down the crime rate and a large crime syndicate in the state, they were flying first class. Everyone settled in, traded seats, and was ready for the few hour flight to come and go. As they started to pull from the gate, Feli snuggled into Ludwig's side and let his sleepiness capture him into the dream world again. Ludwig let him do so, pulling his blanket up around his shoulders. He hoped that his dreams would be more peaceful.

* * *

Italy wondered his dream for a while, staring into the whiteness of it and seeing nothing. He was glad he didn't see Derick sneering at him or Monika smiling at him. It pained him to see them, even though Monika turned into an ally and Derick's painful world came to light. He never wanted to think about him again, but still he plagued his thoughts.

Slowly the background started to take on some color, and he was pulled into a new perspective, staring into Ludwig's eyes.

The scene became clear, and he could only gawk in complete embarrassment at it.

He wanted to curl up, to cover himself, but something kept him from doing so. Did he trust Ludwig enough to go this far with him? Maybe he did, but he let the dream play through, and struggled to keep from making sounds. It was a good, no a fantastic dream, and hoped it would never end. This is what he wanted, what he wanted to happen to him. Derick….

No. No more Derick, no more Lier's Den, none of it would ever happen again. It was only Ludwig and their families now. He had his future ahead of him with Ludwig, and wanted him to see and have everything of him. His dream let him do that, and he still never wanted to see it disappear. As the dream hit its peak, it faded away and Feliciano woke up, albeit disappointed to see it end so soon.

"Hey….you okay Feli?" Feli looked over to Ludwig as he sat up, yawning and stretching his arms up.

"Si. Why, did I start screaming or something?"

"No but um….how do I say this? You were uh….rather vocal while you were sleeping"

Oh shit. Feliciano blushed brightly and pushed his blanker into his face, making Ludwig chuckle and try to pry it away. Feli argued into the soft cotton that he didn't want to, and turned toward the aisle.

"What happened in your dream then?" Ludwig asked. Feli peeked from his blue blanket, still flushed red all the way down to his neck and across his ears. He looked away, embarrassed to admit he basically just dreamt of having sex with Ludwig. The last thing he wanted to do was admit he just had a dream where he was having sex with Ludwig.

"I…..well Derick wasn't in it" Feli meekly responded, hoping Ludwig would be satisfied with his answer and let it drop, at least until they got to the resort hotel. He obviously was not.

"What else? Something had to illicit such….um….things from you" Ludwig was feeling awkward himself talking about this. The sounds Feliciano was making under his breath were more than just arousing to Ludwig, not that he would ever admit that to any ears besides Feli when he could trust him with such things.

"Um….well….uh, you see….."

"_This is your captain speaking. I'm going to be turning the seatbelt sign on in just a few minutes. We are now ten minutes from landing, so wake up, tray tables up, seatbacks up, and seatbelts all nice and clicked in. Stewards and passenger's alike, prepare for landing"_

Feliciano sighed, thanking for the well-timed pilot for breaking him free of the embarrassing talk he was about to have. He pushed his tray table up and set his seat back into its upright position. He shrugged off his blanket as well, he was hot.

"I….will tell you when he get to the hotel, _si_?"

"Alright, but no spared details alright?" Ludwig smiled at Feliciano and he was returned a larger one. The signs above their heads flashed on and Feli settled in for landing, grabbing for a piece of gum for when the pressure starts dropping. He passed one to Ludwig and then one to Arminius across the aisle.

"Of course!"

* * *

"Welcome to Dresdan Island Resort and Hotel! You must be the Beilschmidt reservations! Welcome to our island, and you're welcome here as honored guests!" the desk assistant greeted them fondly as they walked in, a trolley man pushing their cart of luggage next to them. Every single one of the staff members seemed to be smiling their way, and Feli and Ludwig were the center of the attention.

"I never thought that we would be so recognized" Francis noticed aloud, taking the girl's hand and lightly peppering it with kisses and greetings.

"Well news of Ludwig and Feliciano's tryst with Lier's Den came quickly here. We've had trouble with the gang here but they all seemed to have left. It was a storm of people leaving, some even being arrested, thank the Maker" the assistant said as she pulled her hand back from Francis, touched by the Frenchman's welcomes.

"Lier's Den was here?" Feli asked, undertones of fright slipping near unnoticed into his voice. Ludwig shimmered with fear as well.

"It's alright now however Feliciano, Ludwig. The gang, and their hideouts have all been swept and everyone associated with the gang arrested. The island is finally free and getting business, such as you boys. We welcome you all with the best we can offer! Feel free to display public affection of course as well~"

Both boy's faces lit up in crimson and the family, and the employees close by, all laughed. It was warm and welcoming, and the employees were happy to help them up to their rooms. Gilbert, Francis and Kiku were in one small suite, with two bedrooms and stocked kitchen, Arminius and Lili in another suite with their own rooms and Ludwig and Feli in their own, which overlooked the main resort and jungle beyond. All three were interconnected as the Royalty Level, and they were amazed by their fame here.

"Ahh, this bed is really comfy~~" Feli sighed as he belly flopped on his and Ludwig's shared bed, snuggling into the comfy ocean-colored comforters.

"It really is" Ludwig sighed as well, joining Feliciano as he crawled up to the pillows. They laid side-by-side and enjoyed the peacefulness of their private little room.

"Feli…..your dream on the plane…..what was it?" Ludwig asked, turning to Feli. Feli's face lit up and he turned toward Ludwig, cuddling up to his chest.

"You won't be mad if I tell you Luddy?" Feli mumbled into his chest. Ludwig sighed, petting the top of Feli's head.

"No I won't. I just want to know….."

Feli sighed, cuddling closer into Ludwig's chest and gripping hard at the fabric of his shirt. He took another deep sigh and finally looked Ludwig in the eyes.

"I….I was dreaming that…that….you and me were…"

"HEY YOU TOO! Stop making out and get out of there! We're trying out the pool, come on out!"

Both boys jumped in fright at the shout, rolling off the bed simultaneously, and they laughed it out. They gathered themselves up and changed into their packed swimsuits. During the whole thing, Feli couldn't stop staring at Ludwig's chest. He had seen it before but it still was amazed by it, even the scar over his heart. He poked at it to get Ludwig's attention.

"Luddy, I'll tell you later, _si_?"

Ludwig nodded, taking hold of their towels. They bolted down and out into the open resort area, passing their family and racing up to the pools edge. As they dodged around servers and other tourists staying at the resort, Feli kept smiling. He felt free and at home. They jumped into the deep end of the pool, cannon balling in and sinking to the bottom. They looked at each other through the chlorinated water, smiling and giggling away their air. Ludwig swam up for air first, and the family joined them in the pool. Feli exercised his conditioned lungs and took advantage of it and surprised Ludwig as he came up for air himself. He clamped on to Ludwig's shoulders, kissing the side of his neck and celebrating his victory.

"Not funny!" Ludwig claimed, trying to throw him off. Feli simply clung to him and continued to fluster him. Ludwig captured Feli's lips and they settled into the pool again, poking fun with Francis as they spooked the family and just enjoyed the time.

Feli after a while sat along the edge of the resort boundaries, watching the family play around with the resort facilities. He wanted to join them but he wanted to venture around the island, see what it offered. He knew it was dangerous, even with claims that Lier's Den was gone, but something told him to just go ahead and enjoy the thrill of it. He shivered as his thoughts dive bombed to Derick. He shook them away, clutching his head in a desperate attempt to banish them away.

"Feliciano?"

Feli immediately hugged Ludwig as he came up beside him, finally getting the Lier's Den thoughts to go away.

"What are you doing out here?" Ludwig asked. "Everyone else is about to head for lunch"

"I wanted to adventure out in the island. Want to join me?"

Ludwig agreed on both the fact that he would have some alone time with Feli and on the fact that he could protect Feli if anything could happen. They walked along the paved roads, seeing the small little towns and learning things from the locals. Soon they were diving into the tamer parts of the jungle nearest the resort, and by luck found a small waterfall with its own standing pool of water. Immediately, Feli's clothes were flying –he had changed back into actual clothes-and he dove in butt naked. Ludwig was shielding his crimson face as Feli jumped back to the surface, beckoning him in.

"Come on Luddy! It's nice and cool! Please come in with me~?"

Ludwig reluctantly stripped, though hesitated on his own underwear. He was still being a worried little virgin- he had the right to- but Feli didn't see why. So he tugged Ludwig's ankle, trying to reach for the fabric of the boxers. Ludwig dodged back, backing up until he was out of Feli's reach.

"Come on Luddy, don't be shy~"

"Are you really that innocent?" Ludwig challenged. Feli shrugged, resting his elbows on the shore surrounding the lazy pool he waded in.

"I don't see why you need to hide Luddy….I let you see me, why can't I see you?"

Ludwig's blush grew, and he let out another sigh –he seemed to be sighing a lot- and quickly threw his boxers off and jumped in with Feli, diving under as far as he could, quickly coming up for air.

"Yay, Luddy joined!" Feli cheered, swimming over to Ludwig and hugging him. Ludwig mumbled something under his breath, unsure of what to do now. He hugged him back, taking advantage of the freeness water gave them, swinging Feli around. Without thinking, Feli wrapped his legs around Ludwig, pressing them closer. Ludwig bit back the blood suddenly pumping faster through him, hoping nothing happened that would alert Feli of the fact that they were naked and rather close together.

"I'm glad it's all over Ludwig" Feli whispered in his ear. "And we're safe…..together"

"I'm glad too Feliciano. I love you"

"I love you too"

They quickly kissed, Ludwig touching the bottom to steady them. Slowly the kiss turned heated, and the water around them suddenly felt warmer. Feli deepened it, tilting his head and asking for entrance with a flick of his tongue. Ludwig, unsure of what to do next, opened for him and fought against his rising lust. Tongues lashed out against one another, one more experienced and taunting then the other. Feli chuckled into the kiss, amused by Ludwig's amateur technique.

Feli ended it, pulling back and taking a breath, wiping the trail of spit keeping them tied.

"Someone's inexperienced~" Feli cooed. Ludwig's face broke out into a full time red flush, and he pushed Feli back off him and all Feli could do was laugh inappropriately.

"Shut up! I've never done anything like this before!"

Feli let a smudge of a laugh out as he calmed down, swimming back up to Ludwig. He quickly moved his eyes from Ludwig to the water's surface between them, trying to see through the water, but found nothing. He stood up and walked up to Ludwig, plopping himself back under the surface as he was within face length from Ludwig.

"Luddy, I meant nothing bad, I promise"

"You know, I just realized, this is the most I've seen of the real you" Ludwig blurted. Feli clammed up at first, but soon it faded into unusual embarrassment. Feli curled up until he could sit on the bottom of the pool, his eyes and nose just above the surface. He popped up to answer Ludwig.

"I...feel safe to be myself now. I feel like myself again, being the flightly, semi-innocent funny person I wa…I am. When the bullying started and went on, I shut out my original self and put up an act, a mask"

"You slipped that mask off sometimes when you were with me Feli"

"I know, because even back then, before we were an item I…..felt safe near you, and Elizabeta and Roderich and even Katyusha. I loved you even back then"

Ludwig grabbed Feli up from his seated spot in the water and pressed him close, pushing the inappropriate thoughts rampaging in his head away.

"I'm really glad to really see you being you Feli" Ludwig told him, squeezing him closer. "I'm glad you don't have to hide anymore. We don't ever have to face this darkness haunting us alone"

Feli felt them start to run, the unexpected tears that came with Ludwig's comforting words. He clung to Ludwig like a lifeline, shutting out the world and only having Ludwig here. He was safe here, he was okay. He could finally be himself again, and he never had to worry about violent hate on him for his sexuality. Ludwig never had to worry either, and he never had to guess on the past.

"I'm cold" Feli shuddered, shivering against Ludwig. "It got cold"

Ludwig chuckled, understanding him. He was getting cold as well. They both climbed out of the private spring and dressed, although it was like they were in the school locker rooms again, dodging each other to make sure they saw nothing. At one point, Feli got a full on shot, in secret of course, of Ludwig's lower half, full frontal. He instantly blushed and swung back around and tried not to smile like an idiot. He just had to remember that cold water shrunk things.

"This was the beginning of my dream, by the way" Feli told Ludwig as they finished dressing, slowly walking back to the resort. "At least the French kiss was"

* * *

_**I hoped you enjoyed our new beginning, peeking a bit at our possible M-rated content. Just a heads-up to you guys:**_

_**You can decide if this story-line should dive into the M-rated things. PM me, or leave a review with your opinion This doesn't mean that the next chapter will be smut (I am not doing that for this) but possible along the later line.**_


	2. Pride Journey of Sorrow

_**Hmm...not as big of a opening as I thought...are any of the readers avid followers of 'Coming Down'?**_

_**Nonetheless, I continue! I would like to welcome home however Elizabeta, who was glad to know it has returned via reviews. It is back Eliza! **_

_**~( Inspired by 'Pride ~Nageki no Tabi (Pride ~Journey of Sorrow) by AKINO for Sousei no Aquarion)~**_

* * *

The day went along well spent. Ludwig and Feliciano came back with the family near panicking, wondering where the hell they went. After a lengthy, drawn-out explanation and lecture, they were let off the hook for wandering off and all went smoothly. They played along with all of the resort's toys, enjoying the water park, the all-you-could-eat buffet in which Gilbert and Feliciano got into a food battle and Feliciano won when Gilbert passed out with an enlarged food coma, the random shops and stores and got to adventure into the town closest. Feliciano and Ludwig had already been around the fringes of the town and were greeted with little hesitancy when they toured around. People greeted them and offered even free services, proud of their fights through life.

By mid-day, the family was lagging back to the hotel, ready to settle and relax into their large rooms. Ludwig and Feliciano thought settled with touring the tour a little longer, settling for one of the more interesting shops set up.

A medium.

Feliciano opted out, but Ludwig wanted to try it. So Feliciano waited outside for him as he walked in and locked eyes with a ginger-haired girl turning over a set of cards.

"Ludwig Beilschmidt, welcome. You're welcome to take a seat" the medium spoke, setting her cards back into the deck. "I am Olivia"

Ludwig took the offered seat, not voicing his confusion on how she already knew him. She simply looked into his eyes, like she was observing his soul, and played with her card deck.

"I sense you do not want my normal services Ludwig. You seemed undecided on what you want. I think…..a reading will work, but a reading not so stereotypical. I want to see what your past holds"

"My past? Why would you want to look into that horrid thing?" Ludwig questioned.

"Because even with its darkness, there is light that made you what you are. Will you honor me and let me see?" Olivia asked as she offered a hand to him. The palm of the hand was decorated with elaborate symbols and designs. Ludwig cautiously took the hand, letting Olivia hold it with both of hers. She seemed to enter a trance, looking into his past. She opened her eyes, staring deeply into his.

"You hide much dark events in your past, ones that adults couldn't handle, and yet you stand calm and firm, showing no harm by these events. I sense a fog as well that barley lingers. Did you lose these memories once Ludwig?"

"Yes, I did, and only recently did they come back."

"Car accidents. Who knew they could unlock and trap so much within us?" Olivia joked, though she tried to push it aside, realizing that it came out rather offensively. Ludwig understood her use of it and felt no offense to the question.

"But you have someone that understands them, someone that can directly relate to them. Ludwig, instead of hiding your feelings for these memories, you should express them to Feliciano. By doing so, you will understand more of what is hidden, and how they played a part in this journey"

Olivia sat back, watching her advice take hold in Ludwig. He seemed fazed, but it settle quickly, Ludwig knowing that she was right; no medium needed to tell him that. He thanked her for her time and set a small amout of money on her table, but it was pushed back.

"Keep it. Having you here is enough"

"Luddy! It's starting to rain! We need to get back!" Feliciano shouted as he ran inside, his shirt already spotted badly with rain drops.

"Alright, let's go Feli" Ludwig bolted out with Feli on his tail, arms up in defense of the falling rain. They were able to find little cover as they ran through the town, sloshing through mud trails and jumping over large puddles. They weren't going to make it home before they were soaked though, Ludwig knew it. By the time they could see the hotel, Feli made a mistake in his steps, driving his right foot into a bad mud puddle, which ripped his stride down to nothing, yanking him down to the ground with a startled cry and a whine for help. Ludwig turned as best he could and helped Feli out of the mud puddle, noticing that only his legs were muddied. Feli's eyes flooded with tears, one of Feli's hands numbly reaching for the ankle.

"It hurts…" Feli cried softly.

"Get on my back; I'm not risking you hurting yourself more"

So now they ran the rest of the way, Feliciano clinging to Ludwig's shoulders as they ran through the storm and tried to find cover from it. Feli got used to the bumpy ride on Ludwig's back, actually lulling him to sleep for a bit before his injured foot swung out and hit straight into a tree, eliciting a yelp and more tears. By the time they got into the lobby and into the elevator, Feli and Ludwig were shaking from the rain and cold, splattered in mud and Feli could feel his hurt ankle throbbing.

The elevator dinged, and they got off, dragging themselves up to their door. Ludwig flashed their Entry card and slid them both in, tugging off his muddy clothes and shoes. He felt no embarrassment as he tugged Feli's ruined and muddy pants off, tossing them with the rest of the muddy things needing a good wash. He tugged Feli's wet shirt off and helped him off the floor and onto the bed, where he grabbed their blanket and wrapped himself up. He hissed as he tried to move his right foot and let it stick out. It was looking red and puffy. Ludwig was shedding his clothes in the bathroom and replacing them with dry articles. He walked out with a white box with a red cross on it; their first aid kit. Ludwig kneeled down in front of Feli.

"Mind if I check your ankle?"

"Please…go ahead Luddy"

Gently flexing the injured ankle, Ludwig tested it for any breaks, any fractures and anything wrong. He gently moved it side to side and up and down, eliciting a lot of whines and sharp words from Feliciano as he did so. Feli kept on doing so, not happy with the discomfort he was feeling. Ludwig thought needed to do this to make sure nothing bad happened. As he pressed his thumbs down on one spot on the ankle, he was slapped upside the head by Feliciano. Ludwig caught the next attempt that was swung at him.

"Ouch! That hurts, stop it!"

"Okay. It looks like you just sprained and bruised the hell out of it. Keep still and I'll wrap it up so you don't hurt yourself more"

Feliciano complied, keeping his ankle straight and letting Ludwig readjust it so he could slowly wrap it with soft ace bandages. They were nice and cool, like the rain that fell outside and Feli really was happy for that fact. As Ludwig finished his nurse job and secured the ace bandages correctly, he collected up the first aid kit and slid it under their bed for a later time. Feli rolled the ankle experimentally and hissed as a bolt of pain shot up his leg. He stopped instantly, and then started shivering; finally noticing that he was freezing cold.

Ludwig noticed before Italy even started to shiver, knowing he would be cold after being carried through the rain, and had also started a warm bath to help get the chills away when he went searching for the first aid kit.

"L-luddy…." Feli stuttered, captured by the cold chills running freely up and down his body. Ludwig scooped up Feliciano into his arms again and carried him into the medium sized bathtub already filled with warm water, propping up the injured ankle on the rim. Feli settled into the water, letting it warm him slowly. He felt a little better now.

"Will you join me Luddy?"

Ludwig barely had time to stutter out an answer, nothing coherent coming out of his mouth. His face once again had turned bright red, and nothing so innocent ran through his thoughts at that moment. Feliciano giggled into the water, peering over the edge of the tube. Feli had to admit as well nothing really innocent ran thought his head but he didn't have to let Luddy know that. Ludwig though opted out at last for joining and bolted out of there, shouting out promises of clean clothes later for him. As the door to the bathroom closed, Feli sank into the water again, giving a resigned sigh. He had hoped Ludwig would pass out of the awkwardness of this. He wanted Ludwig.

He wanted that ugly scar of his 'first time' gone.

"No, no no, stop it" Italy bit back as it came again, the unsettling memories, the scars still etched in his mind. He curled up defensively as his body shook with fear. The memories did not stop, going well past what he usually dreamt, and dove into the actual rape. He was sobbing and crying out again, unable to handle the horror again. He wanted it to end, he wanted Ludwig here.

He was about to start screaming as Ludwig walked back in, and changed his entire agenda to grab Feli and help fight away the day nightmare. Feli was pulled out of the tub and up against Ludwig on the floor, sobbing and screaming and muttering into his chest. Ludwig kept him as close as he could, not saying anything and stroking Feliciano's damp hair. He never needed to say anything; he never hesitated when this happened. He promised himself he would forget everything to help Feliciano through this, no matter what it took. Feliciano was scarred and left alone for long enough and Ludwig never wanted it to happen again. Though now instead of completely focusing on Feliciano, Ludwig felt his own sickening memories bubble up from their prisons. He saw his own horrors, his own scars, from long ago. His ghosts haunting him, and took solace in only the fact that Feliciano was back in his life.

Ludwig for the first time since he regained his childhood memories cried for his own losses.

They both cried as they faced the darkness haunting them.

They barely made it back into their actual room before they were too tired to stay awake due to their crying. That night Feliciano was graced with no dreams.

Ludwig was another story, and it did not play out well at all.

'_Walking back to class alone was never a good idea', Ludwig chastised himself as he walked down the dim hallways, clutching his small learning book with shaking hands. 'You know that you should have left earlier with the rest of them and not stayed back to catch up'_

_He took his steps as quietly and carefully as he could as he walked back to his current room in the Personify Country Jail and Make-Up School. He never liked it here, and he was never really accepted here. Everyone was bigger and meaner, and all seemed to be hell bent on either killing him, bullying him to bleeding or tying to….t-to…to rape him. He never liked it that the boys did it the most, dirty disgusting hands pinning him and reaching for his pants, tugging his shirt away and leaving marks on him. The guards and teachers didn't care about him, but more on that they wanted to leave. Even the girls would as well, shoving him into dark corners and trying to get him to do bad things to them._

_These weren't students failing; these were bad, juvenile kids! They were the next batch of prisoners! Why was Ludwig here?_

_As Ludwig turned the last corner to his cell-turned-room, he ran into something solid and fell back, his book flying out of his reach._

"_Took 'ya fucking long enough Lud. What did you do after class, suck off the teacher?"_

_Ludwig looked up in fear as the four middle-school students loomed over him, three guys and one girl; the biggest bullies and cons within the repeating grades. They were among the oldest, sitting in the failed seventh grade, and they were the meanest, most disgusting kids he met. They were the main force in his horror here. They laughed at the kid's joke, and the girl, Liara, stepped up grabbing Ludwig's fallen book and tossing it into his open room._

"_Lud, Luddy, Lud-Lud. The youngest kid to end up here, in the fourth grade no less!" Liara cooed at him, tugging him off his back by the front of his shirt. "We're going to have fun before this replacement semester ends"_

"_No!" Ludwig shouted back, trying to squirm free from her grip. He was grabbed by two of the others, holding him in place and leaving no gap for him to escape._

"_No?" the last remaining male, Han, spat. "No? You think you have an opinion you little bitch? You don't, not here. Welcome to school jail, prison bitch"_

"_NOOOOOOOO!"_

_Clawed hands ripped at his last barriers from being exposed, tearing at the fabric, ripping holes and openings for his attackers to use. They bit at open skin, palmed his crotch, and did what they wanted, all within ears not a few feet away, but they didn't listen. The others didn't even move. They ignored his pleas and cries for help. No one was going to interfere with these four and their captured prey. Ludwig fought back with little results, trying to keep his legs closed and his pants on, but his legs were kept forced open, open to attacks by Liara and one of the boys._

_Han went for groping him, and the other nameless attacker worked on ripping everything that was clothing off him. Ludwig soon had no fight left in him, unable to fight back. He was losing the battle, and he was already half-naked, sitting in the hallway of the Jail with the four of them still at it, unable to break through his pants for an odd reason. He fought back the ripples of pleasure, knowing they were wrong and bad. His body reacted against him._

"_This bitch must like it for what's throbbing underneath here" Liara sneered. "Wish we could see what it was~"_

"_P-please stop…." Ludwig tried one last time to make them, but he found no answer but Han's hands choking him, keeping him silent until they released him into a coughing fit. Ludwig was pretty sure there were going to be bruises rising soon._

"_Ludwig, I would shut the fuck up. Slip them off…." Han ordered, and Ludwig could hear his zipper start to go down._

'_This is it. I've lost. This is going to happen after all' Ludwig thought, trapping his sobs. He had no more strength to fight back. 'They're going to rape me and no one will ever know'_

"_WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU FOUR DOING TO HIM?!"_

_Ludwig opened his eyes to look up at his teacher, who was just a few steps down the hall, wielding her only yard stick. She was sort of kind to him, and now she was here to rescue her. Han and Liara started to bolt, only to be flanked and captured by guards coming down Ludwig's immediate right hallway. The other boys bolted but ended up in the same situation as the other two. The teacher walked up to Ludwig and helped him up, folding what was left of his shirt over his chest, and helping him to get decent. His assaulters, now fighting against the guards holding them, shouted at the teacher._

"_You four are finished assaulting this boy. I will see to it personally that you spend extra time here for what you've done. Come on Ludwig, I'll see if I can find you some new clothes"_

_Ludwig let the kind teacher carry him on her back, resting his heavy head on her shoulders. He wanted to fall asleep. He felt bruised and contaminated and dirtied and wrong. He wanted to scrub it all away. He eventually fell asleep silently sobbing into the teacher's shoulder._

"LUDWIG! WAKE UP! Wake up, snap out of it! Luddy, please stop it!"

_Ludwig's head pounded badly, making him scream as his headache and bruises and claw marks flared in an angry rush of pain. He could hear Liara and Han laugh at him as he disappeared into the unsettling darkness of the jail. He could still hear his tormentors yell as he was carried away to freedom._

"LUDDY! Wake UP! Please, snap out of it, WAKE UP!"

_Before his pain captured him into his subconscious, he could see a shadow figure in the hall, waving at him like a friend. It looked like Feli. As his head felt like it was split open, he waved back, and finally succumbed to his body's wishes._

"_BURN IN HELL LUDWIG!" was the last thing he heard from Liara as he dropped out of the world in the pitch black subconscious cage he made._

Ludwig gasped out of his memory-dream, launching into the awaiting arms of Feliciano. For a moment, he couldn't connect to reality, and sobbed softly into Feliciano's shoulder, unable to control himself. He still felt like he was living out his memories again.

"Luddy, what happened, what did you see? You were tossing and turning and crying and screaming, and I didn't know what was happening, ARE YOU OKAY!?" Feliciano demanded. Ludwig's tears stopped on order, and he answered him.

"I, I was reliving the most painful memory I have. I never thought….it hurts. Just let me come back to reality, Feli…please, just…..let me come back…."

Feliciano was relieved, but sudden sorrow wringed at his heartstrings. Ludwig now faced the horrors of his past, trapped within his subconscious during sleep to forcibly watch as dark things bubble underneath his skin. Feli tightened his grip on Ludwig.

"It's okay Ludwig. I have you, come back as soon as you can" Feli told him. Ludwig's tears quickly returned, curling up against Feli's shoulder and chest, refusing to let go of the security he felt in his arms. Feliciano welcomed it with an open heart, feeling more trust between them. Not once had he seen Ludwig cry and break down to such a level, or even react to his memories in such a sorrowful state. He knew Ludwig's history was full of bullying and hate and horror, but how much of it was pure devastation?

"You're safe Luddy. I'm safe as well. You don't need to hide it anymore" Feli told him, running a soothing ran up and down his back. Ludwig's body was racked with sobs, seemingly endless tears. He couldn't keep a hold of what was happening.

"I wish that your journey here was better than mine. No one deserves harsh punishment like this. Wake up Luddy, I'm waiting for you"

Ludwig sobs starting to subside and soon Ludwig was still in Feli's arms, just letting his body and mind calm back down to normalcy. Feli, tired out from his previous sob session and from sitting here helping Ludwig out for long, looked about ready to pass out, and right before he succumbed to his drowsiness, Ludwig's lifted himself up and looked Feli in the eyes. Ludwig's eyes were red and puffy, and tears too small to hold back still fell. Feli smiled and hugged Ludwig again, the motion quickly followed.

"Thank you Feli" Ludwig thanked him, "I couldn't thank you enough"

"Trusting in me while that happened is enough Ludwig" Feli replied, "I take pride in knowing that this relationship works both ways when we're haunted"

"I'll tell you about it later, alright?"

Feliciano nodded. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment again, something new joining in the field of emotions swimming in them. They couldn't pinpoint it, but it was strong. Sleepiness soon captured them both again, and both fell asleep in the comfort of each other's arms, Feliciano curling up into Ludwig. Quickly, they fell into their well-needed sleep, no memories of haunting nightmares chasing them through the dark. They finally got a peaceful sleep cycle. As the last light in their room flickered off, the door, now noticeably opened, slowly closed. Gilbert, who had heard the commotion, was glad to see both of them finally find some peace to sleep. He was worried when he heard his brother start screaming.

He hadn't heard his brother scream like that.

At least he took some solace in knowing that he wouldn't have to worry so much about his brother's wellbeing and mental stability.

* * *

_**How do you like **'dem** feels? Huh? review and let me know if it hit you hard enough. Luvs you all!**_


	3. Nerves of Shadows

_**...Hello? Is anyone still reading this? People from Coming Down, are you still here? Please if you're here, review to tell me you are?**_

_**Well if you are here, have another chapter. I hope you enjoy.**_

_**~( Inspired by 'Nerves' by Icon For Hire and 'Shadows' by Lindsey Stirling)~**_

* * *

Feli wiggled and tossed to the other side, still sleeping blissfully ignorant of the invading bodies poking from the doors. He turned again, away from the sleeping body of Ludwig, ignoring the rising sun falling onto them like added blankets. The incoming interrupters poked their heads farther in, sharply whispering to the forms still mind deep in the act of sleep.

"Hey guys…..Feli, Ludwig, are you alright?"

Feliciano groaned as he sat up, waking up with major drowsiness and clinging sleepiness. He rubbed his eyes with the base of his hand, wiping some of the sand out of his eyes, and peered over at his open door with unfocused eyes. He could make out the long hair of Arminius, the soft blue bow of Lili and the red eyes of Gilbert coming in, but still he stayed silent, still detained by sleep's long reach. He yawned, stretching out his sore limbs.

"Ve, good morning guys" Feli spoke, having to blink before he could focus on them completely. Arminius, Lili and Gilbert slinked into the room, all looking at him rather anxiously, as if they were waiting for news that could make or break them.

"What's going on?"

Lili stepped up first. "Is everything alright? Gilbert told us this morning that something had happened with Ludwig?"

Feli froze for a moment, searching for the reason behind Lili's accusations, but came up empty at first. A few more silent seconds went by with a breath, and finally Feliciano felt his memory start churning out flashes of last night. He remembered Ludwig's painful midnight nightmare wake-up after being plagued by memory's shadowed fists, beaten back into what ever state he was in at the end of the memory's playback. He had helped him come out of the dream and back into reality, Ludwig clinging and crying into him for who knows how long, unable for a while to connect back to the real world. The agonizing event that Ludwig finally got to see what he had purposely pushed away, to avoid such reactions.

"Right…." Feliciano murmured, his right hand going for Ludwig hair. "He….had a bad flashback, a memory, in his dreams, like…like I do a lot. For a while, he couldn't get out of it even after waking up"

"He couldn't get free of the emotional impact of it, and spent a good amount of time just….crying and screaming into my shoulder."

Ludwig whispered something, curling tighter into his sleeping position. Feli smiled sadly down at him, running his hand through his hair again. More unintelligible words spilled from Ludwig's sealed lips.

"I did what I could for him, like he does for me" Feliciano commented, turning to the other Beilschmidt members.

Arminius walked up to Ludwig's side of the bed, brushing his hair out of his face. Ludwig's face scrunched up as Arminius touched him, and more incoherent babble flew from his lips. Sweat dripped slowly in beads down his forehead. His face heated, and the grip on Feliciano's hand grew tighter. His words began comprehendible, and the fight to wake him up began before he dove too deep into his nightmares. At first, all they could do was wiggle and shake him, just moving his body around with no results. Feliciano however remembered what Ludwig would do when these things plagued him. Feli got as close as he could to Ludwig, whispered a single phrase in his limited German vocabulary, and watched as Ludwig's shaking stopped, the stream of sounds and words coming to a full stop. His eyes, now glistening with tears, opened with a snap. He was confused, looking around wildly until he realized where he was and who was near.

"Thank you Feliciano" Ludwig thanked him, squeezing his hand.

"You're welcome Luddy"

Ludwig sat up, rubbing at his eyes to dig out the sand in his eyes. All the while, his family watched him without a sound. As he looked up to them, catching each of their eyes, he got this confused look on his face.

"Why are all of you in our room?" Ludwig questioned softly, looking around again. "Seriously, why the hell are you in here?"

"He's alright!" Gilbert cheered, "Relax, bro, we were just checking in. I had heard you screaming and stuff last night and told the rest of them in the morning. We were just worried"

Ludwig looked away from them, flushing in embarrassment. Feliciano flanked his left, curling around his shoulder and whispering things softly in Italian. Slowly Ludwig unraveled, reveling in the sound of the Italian's smooth and comforting words. They kept him calm and at ease, and the family noticed it quickly and took their leave. Lili said something to Feli softly before she left. Once again, Feli and Ludwig were alone in the comfort of each other's embrace.

"You okay Ludwig?" Feli asked.

"Yeah, I'm just…..I feel exhausted"

"Did you sleep okay?"

"….don't I usually ask you this?"

"Yes, but you're having trouble now. So did you do okay the rest of the night?"

Ludwig nodded, snuggled deeper into Feliciano's shoulder as they lay down on their sides. "Yes, at least until the end"

"What was happening?" Feli's face tightened, worry crossing into a frown on his lips. Ludwig's face fell, and he rolled to his other side, facing away from Feli. Feli flopped over Ludwig's shoulders, looking worried. Small tears were escaping Ludwig's eyes again.

"It was during my stay in the Penitentiary…." Ludwig started, "It wasn't as bad as last nights but…anything from that time was horrific…you sure you want to know?"

Feliciano nodded quickly, and finally succeeded in turning Ludwig to face him. He took hold of his head and pressed their forehead together, getting Ludwig to look him in the eyes.

"If we're going to be a serious couple, we need to know things like this. I want to help carry the burdens of your past Ludwig. You have already helped carry my burdens. It's my turn. All you need to do is let me know them"

Ludwig smiled softly. "Alright. I'll tell you about this morning's memory"

"_Psst, Ludwig…Luddy, wake up!"_

_Ludwig mumbled something, not bothering with opening his eyes. He was too tired, too sore, to try and lift his head to acknowledge the annoying student calling for his attention. He could mutely hear the teacher blabber on and on about a sixth grade algebra equation he had no clue how to solve. He let the dumb adult continue on, blabbing on and away from his sleep, but someone else wanted him awake._

"_Psst! Ludwig, wake up!" Something solid connected with the back of his head, launching him up out of his mid-day nap, catching the eyes of the students around him._

"_H-huh?"_

"_Mr. Beilschmidt, take you for offering. What is the answer to the problem on the board?" the teacher droned at him, slamming his sharpened yardstick on the chalk math problem on his gum-tainted, crudely graffiti-covered blackboard. Ludwig had learned to keep his eyes away from the crap drawn penises and rude curse word messages flanking the only work space the wall-length blackboard offered. On the thin strip of workspace was a short, yet complex algebra problem using a mix of exponents and other rules. Ludwig, being still in the fourth and with a slightly advanced learning curve, knew how to do part of it, but the rest was like Latin. He squinted at it, trying to draw out anything to help him solve it. The room remained stagnant, a pregnant pause covering them all. A few students snored as they slept away the day._

"_An answer, Mr. Beilschmidt, before we start to grow grey hairs and rot in our seats," The teacher murmured impatiently. He however smirked under the cover of his bent head, already reveling in his victory. He knew that this fourth grader could never solve this, and wanted to make a fool of him._

"_15.5"_

"_Excuse me?" the teacher snapped._

"_The answer. Its 15.5"_

"_No its-" The teacher looked down at his answer sheet and found that Ludwig had given him the correct answer. The fourth grader answered correctly, and obviously did not do a single thing down on paper._

"_Alrighty then, Mr. Beilschmidt, come up and do it for us. I want to see it. If you can't by the time class ends, you'll be given punishment" the teacher sneered, holding up the small piece of chalk for the young Ludwig. The class simmered in the possibility of Ludwig's punishment, wanting to see him hurt like the sick sadistic evils they were. Some, who wanted no harm done to him, bit into their cheeks, hoping that he did well and impressed. Ludwig knew he had to do it quickly. He swallowed the frog in his throat and nearly sprinted up to the board, scribbling the steps as quickly and as clear as he could. He stuttered as it grew harder, the numbers growing more decimals, but he got it done, just in the nick of time. As the bell rang, no student left as all of them were awaiting the results of Ludwig's answer. They watched the teacher evaluate the young student's work. Anxiousness and excitement ruled the stagnant air of the classroom. The seconds ticked on for an eternity as the teacher mumbled, pointing to his answer sheet. The clock coming louder and louder until the teacher turned to Ludwig, who stood frozen excusing his hands, which twisted around one another._

"_Congratulations, Mr. Beilschmidt, you had saved your body from any bruises from me. You got it right. All of you! If you had half the brain this youngster has, you would have saved yourself from homework! Ludwig, you're free to go. You've caught my good side. You can go without work"_

_Ludwig learned a while ago not to celebrate with the others staring him down as if he was a gazelle in plain sight. He nodded, collected his books and walked out of the room, the door slamming behind him. Only when he cleared the hall did he start to celebrate, cheering himself for a job well down and pulling the answer out his ass. _

"It's a rather nice beginning Luddy" Feli said, trying to comfort him. Ludwig smiled, though it fell quickly.

"It was only the beginning, and it gets darker" Ludwig chuckled sourly.

_He sprinted along however as the hallways full of classrooms turned to dimmed halls of cells. He had reached the housing units, and had to get to his and lock it before anyone got to him. He made his customary left turn into his cellblock and a right into his own little 'room'. He flung his books onto his bed, shut the door of his room shut, and locked it with the key he was given. He pulled his standard issue privacy curtains over the open bars and settled onto the far wall, taking soft panting breaths. He was safe. He was safe for the rest of the day._

_He shrugged his way off the floor and set his books in his place next to his bed. After shrugging off his jacket and boots, he crawling under his thin blankets and hit the pillows hard. Even though he was good at it, math hurts his brain; ask any kid, they'll say the same. He let sleep capture him, his guard slipping just enough for a window._

_Deep into the pitch black night, as small lights from kid's handheld flashlights lit up behind curtains and naughty students took to the night's dark veil for their bad or otherwise disgusting agendas, Ludwig awoke to the sound of a lock coming loose, and the swoosh of curtains being pushed back. Ludwig flipped to his door as a hand grabbed his shirt, a quick yelp escaping his throat. His head connected with the wall, sending stars to the corners of his eyes._

"_Ludwig Beilschmidt, a pleasure to forcibly meet you. I'm Kyle, a student in your damned math class. You made a mockery of us by answering that damn question"_

"_H-how did you…."_

"_Get in?" Kyle sneered. "Picked it of course. I found some paper clips with my work. Apparently, someone wanted me to be able to sneak out and hunt your ass down. Now why I did is a whole other ballpark. You see, I'm representing the rest of the class, and we're rather angry with that performance earlier"_

_A punch connected with Ludwig's stomach, pushing him into the wall with the force. Another hand curled over his mouth to silence his cries. Small tears fell from his eyes at the pain it was causing._

"_I'm here to make sure you stay fucking silent. No one, and we mean no one, gets the teacher's good side. It means hell for the rest of us. Since we can't stop you unless we kill you, which would be harder to cover up, you'll be giving me every correct answer on this homework sheet. You will make me fifteen copies so the others can do this piece of shit. If you say no, I'll beat you"_

"_Beat me then! Turn me fucking black and blue," Ludwig snapped. "I will not be your fucking cheat sheet you piece of shit bully"_

"It was so fucking stupid to tell him that. So fucking wrong" Ludwig groaned, "If I hadn't said it…."

"Luddy….."

"I know…it's just…"

"Stop. You didn't know what you were doing. What happened next? Do you want to stop?" Feli asked, kissing Ludwig's forehead. Luddy wiped away tears suddenly falling.

"No I want to continue. I want you to know" Ludwig insisted. "As for what happens….you can probably guess what does happen…."

_The fists and claws came quicker than expected, tearing and bruising him with killer accuracy. Ludwig tried to dodge and block but found it futile, as it seemed that several people were in here, taking turns in the game to beat Ludwig black and blue as he requested so kindly. He was kept silent, hands keeping his cries dead in their filthy palms. He was scared, but as he heard the sound of a blade being pulled from its holder, he fell into a panic attack._

"_Ludwig, we've had enough. Agree, or suffer"_

_The hands moved from his mouth, and his heart spoke for him first, words of pure defiance spilling out._

"_Fuck you" he spat, spitting up a wad of blood into Kyle's face, "You won't break me"_

"_I'll bet my pants that I will" Kyle sneered, "My nerves are harder than yours"_

"_Mine are shadows" Ludwig growled._

"_They flicker and disappear?" Kyle was ignorant, trying to find weakness._

"_No," Ludwig bit at him, "They never leave! Stab me, you won't hurt me"_

_The larger boy snarled, wiping away the glob of blood and fiercely slapping Ludwig across the face for added measures. He pinned Ludwig down, and held the knife over Ludwig's torso, skirting the tip around the exposed untouched skin._

"_Your choice"_

_Kyle aimed for his heart first, and dragged the sharp knife across the section of his chest._

_Ludwig's scream barely got air for fuel. He was chocked, gagged even, and he had to deal with the excruciating pain of being cut right where he lived, literally. It burned, tortured, and pained him, and all he could do was scream into the palms of his captors and cry to the deaf heavens. He couldn't even hope to be saved. As Kyle seemed satisfied with his works, the knife lifted away and he and his group stalked off, leaving Ludwig to deal with the open wound and the torn clothes and wounds._

_Ludwig could only shudder and let the night capture him again into its cold embrace. He was just glad he wasn't sexually assaulted this time. He touched the bloodied cut up section of his chest, tracing the cut in lines. It would be a long, ragged scar across his heart. He stared at his blood-tinged fingers as if they were not his, blankness capturing his thoughts._

_He fell asleep without even consulting anyone about this. He just lay on his floor, trying to calm himself. He had survived, just barely._

"S-so the scar over your heart…..happened over math?" Feliciano whispered, struck by the force of the memory.

Ludwig looked down sadly. He tugged back the left side of his shirt, exposing the scarred skin underneath. The ragged, twisted scar decorating his upper torso stared at Feliciano in mockery. Ludwig's right hand found the scar, his ring finger tracing the earned mark.

"Yes. It's my luck charm because I survived it. Because I solved that math problem. The bullies….never came to mind until now when I look at it"

Feliciano crawled up to Ludwig, hugging him close. Ludwig's left hand curled up around the small of Feli's back, his face pressed into Feli's shoulder. Silence and the muffled sounds of other vacationers were the only things heard besides the heavy thudding of their hearts in sync. Feliciano's hand snaked its way to the heart scar, tracing the rough outer boundaries of it, eliciting a gasp from Ludwig. Feliciano smirked, pleased. His hand moved into Ludwig's left hand, his fingers digging into the hand until they were nice and folded in Ludwig's grip.

"I still think you did what was right Luddy"

Ludwig smiled into Feliciano's shoulder. "Thank you for supporting me and thank you for listening"

"I wouldn't leave when you're having trouble Luddy!" Feliciano gasped, looking Ludwig in the eyes, "And you wouldn't leave me right? When I'm having issues again?"

Ludwig brushed his free hand over Feliciano's left cheek, kissing him on the nose as he answered Feli's desperate question.

"No. I never would. Don't ever think I won't come back when you're hurting"

* * *

They eventually got out of their room and joined the others in the next round and the next day of vacation, joining in as they explored around, taking in now the island as a whole, searching for spots they could hang out and hide in. Feliciano and Ludwig had their spot, their secret waterfall spring, so they deflected from the group again and playfully chased one another until they reached the little oasis-like spot hidden by vast waves of vines, tree limbs and tree leaves. Feliciano rested on the left rocky edge of the waterfall, lying on his back and letting the sounds of the island fill his ears.

"It's really peaceful…." Feliciano sighed contently, stretching out his limps with a big yawn.

"I'm hungry" Feli put out to Ludwig, looking at him with heavy-lidded eyes.

Ludwig chuckled, flicking Feliciano's nose kiddingly. "Want to stay here while I got get something for us?"

Feliciano nodded, succumbing to the sudden lack-of-food coma catching him in chilling vines. He slept on the flat, warmed rock, letting Ludwig go on into the village. While there, he picked what could only be described as a breakfast picnic, complete with still warm eggs made up by a kind woman from the village. As Ludwig carried his fest back with content steps, a hymn he picked up from the locals leaving his lips, he turned back and caught a glimpse of someone staring at him. This person, a man older then Ludwig, peeked from behind a grove of palms and sneered at him, reminding him deeply of Han, his almost-rapist from Personify Jail. Ludwig quietly remarked about this and went on.

Ludwig did a double take, turning back to the odd collection of trees as they swayed with the light wind dusting the tops of the trees. He swore he saw…. '_No'_, Ludwig kidded himself, _'It wasn't Han sneering at me behind the trees. Your imagination is playing you a fool'. _Ludwig's chuckle at his eyes came out a little bitter but he continued on, brushing back his bangs as he continued on back to the waterfall and Feliciano. He abandoned the village to its devices, but the quick snapshot of the person behind the trees ghosted him for the rest of the day.

Just behind that same grove of trees, the figure turned away from the main road and walked on into wild jungle and vine-covered hidden paths. His brown hair tied up in a ponytail swung without care. Tight, vicious green eyes kept themselves glued to his walkie-talkie. He pressed the button, and broadcasted his update.

"Target confirmed. Ludwig is on the island, I repeat, the prison bitch is on the grounds"

A female voice backed up by static answered back quickly. "Perfecto! I was so hoping it really was him. How'd he look Han?"

Han sneered, chuckling into his open communications. "Scarred but what'd you expect? He survived Personify, Lier's Den, and self-harm. I think he's ready for try two of his duty, what'd you say?"

"Oh hell to the yes" the woman called back, cheering. The muted dragging of metal on concrete echoed in the background of the talk. "Let's welcome back our prison bitch. I still never got to see what he was hiding in his jeans"

Han chuckled at the nostalgic shiver running through him, amused by its burning touch. It has been a long time since he felt this welcomed burn. It felt amazing to feel it again in such heavy doses.

"Then let's find out. I will call the others to let them know the plan. I'll meet you at the Cells like usual?"


End file.
